History of the Mundenhof

1294

The Günterstal Monastery owns the Mundenhof for 500 years. During this period, there were repeated disputes between the residents of Mundenhof and the people of Umkirch, who distrusted the imposing estate on their doorstep.

1806

With the end of the old Reich, the Mundenhof became the property of the newly founded principality of Baden and is sold to the University of Freiburg two years later.

1891

Production starts on what would become the Rieselfeld. The Mundenhof estate produces milk and grain on the ideally fertilised and thus extremely fertile land.

1892

A “drizzled” field ( Rieselfeld ), i.e. a natural sewage plant, is to be created for the waste water of the city of Freiburg, which has meanwhile grown to a population of 53,000. For this reason, the city bought about 500 hectares of land in western Freiburg from the university, including the Mundenhof.

1920

The Rieselfeld is expanded by about 320 hectares.

1960

Hofwiese and Bleichacker are separated by the building of the motorway.

1968

A zoo is opened at the Mundenhof with strong support from the then Freiburg Mayor, Eugen Keidel, and the Fördergemeinschaft Freiburger Tiergehege e.V. is founded. Within a short time more than 100,000 people visit the new zoo annually.

1985

The first Zeltmusikfestival (ZMF, tent music festival) takes place at the Mundenhof.

After almost 100 years, the “Rieselfeld sewage works” ceases operations. The amount of waste water increased enormously during the 60s and 70s as a result of the rapid rise in the population and the increase in commercial land. The land can no longer cope with the immense amount of up to 90,000 m³ of waste water a day. Since then, Freiburg’s sewage has been cleaned in the municipal waste water treatment plant in Forchheim, opened in 1980.

Conversion from intensive agriculture to ecologically aligned extensive management for the estate’s own use.

1991

KonTiKi (Kontakt-Tier-Kind, animal-child contact) is created. The old barns are expanded for this purpose.

1995

The construction of a new city quarter for about 10,000 people starts on the former Rieselfeld.